DeKalb | Cor Cantiamo, an NIU choir residency, will perform songs commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I on Sunday.

Cor Cantiamo is a 25-person professional chamber choir founded in 2009. The choir, which is mostly made up of NIU alumni, is an in-residence choral group, meaning it partners with the College of Visual and Performing Arts for regular performances. The show will also feature NIU faculty member JeongSoo Kim, who will perform with Cor Cantiamo for the first time.

“They have amazing, beautiful sound and great balance, and I have really enjoyed working with Dr. Johnson and the choir,” Kim said.

Cor Cantiamo’s performance will include music which ranges from Brazilian dance rhythms to music in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of World War I. The show also will feature the US Premiere of “Standing As I Do Before God” by British composer Cecilia McDowall. The song recounts the last hours of Edith Cavell, a British nurse who helped over 200 allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium.

The show will begin at 3 p.m in the Music Building, Boutell Memorial Concert Hall. Eric Johnson, director of choral activities at NIU and founder of Cor Cantiamo said audience members can expect to hear music of great beauty and artistry at the concert.

“A composer can only hope to have his or her work performed with as much accuracy and emotion as Cor Cantiamo,” said composer Timothy Takach, who will be featured in Sunday’s performance. “They truly bring the music to life.”

Some of the members are teachers at schools in the surrounding area; others are freelance singers who have their own studios. The choir has grown tremendously since its first performance on campus in spring 2010. It has recorded two commercial CDs, and has traveled to Michigan, Ohio and more places around the Midwest for professional concerts.

“We have grown significantly since that first performance, and our level of ensemble communication and musical refinement has been amazing,” Johnson said. “We have a long history of musical exploration, life experiences, and celebrations together. This deepens the level of musical performance for all of us in every concert.”